Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers received a positive update on his left wrist injury following further testing.
Rodgers will not need to undergo surgery to repair his fractured wrist, NFL Network Insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday. Rodgers currently is pushing to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears, per Pelissero and Rapoport.
Coach Mike Tomlin confirmed shortly after that Rodgers does not require surgery, though he said the team will have to take it day by day in terms of approaching whether or not the 41-year-old can suit up in Week 12.
"Really, it's just about bracing it and securing it for his comfort and safety. And then it's about how functional he is," Tomlin said during his Tuesday news conference. "So, we don't have the answers to that as we stand here today, but certainly I would imagine we'll get some clarity as we push through the week. I think his experience really kind of aids in that. He's the type of guy and has the type of profile that doesn't require a lot of physical work in an effort to be ready to play, and that's helpful."
Rodgers suffered the injury in the first half of Sunday's win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He was an efficient 9 of 15 for 116 yards and a touchdown at the time of his departure. Mason Rudolph, who would be in line to start if Rodgers misses, played well in two quarters of relief. He threw for 127 yards and a TD on 12-of-16 passing, inheriting a one-point lead that bloomed to a 22-point victory with him under center with help via two defensive scores.
Rodgers has experienced hot and cold stretches during his first season in the Steel City, but he's undeniably been a lynchpin in helping Pittsburgh's offense to 12th in scoring, its highest mark since 2020. He's thrown for 1,969 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions as the Steelers have spent the entire season atop the AFC North.
As well as the year has gone so far, though, Pittsburgh could be in a somewhat precarious position if Rodgers even misses one game.
At 6-4, the Steelers hold a one game lead over the surging 5-5 Baltimore Ravens. They still have both games against Baltimore remaining, plus consecutive showdowns with seven-win teams in the Bears and Buffalo Bills on the immediate horizon.
Tomlin noted that Rodgers actually wanted to re-enter Sunday's contest, so while the QB's pain tolerance will ultimately be a variable the Steelers must take into account, the coach doesn't consider it as much of an issue as making sure Rodgers can both protect himself and be effective when playing.
He indicated Friday -- when game designations are provided -- will "probably be a big day in terms of [evaluating] some of those things."
For the next couple of days, Tomlin's plan is to give Rudolph and rookie Will Howard work as the team prepares for another pivotal matchup. Should Rudolph get the call, he has found some success with the Steelers before, notably going 3-0 as a starter for the team during the 2023 season.
Still, the Steelers acquired Rodgers with the hope that the four-time AP NFL Most Valuable Player could lead them to the playoffs and smash through the wild-card wall (Pittsburgh has fallen there four times in the past five seasons). Now squarely in crunch time, they'll be hoping he proves ready to play as soon as possible. So, too, will Rodgers, who has the added motivation of potentially taking on the Bears, a team he's famously been a longtime tormenter of.
"I know he's working his tail off to be a component of this this week," Tomlin said. "He and I talked yesterday. He expressed that directly. I'm of the mindset of supporting that, while at the same time I've got a healthy collective of guys as a team and as a unit to ready. ... We'll see where the week leads us and we'll take it day by day."
